Parkhead Tea Room in County Durham

I was here with my family, 19 of us, to celebrate my 80th birthday with an afternoon tea. We pre-ordered and every one of us had a three tier cake stand full of sandwiches, cakes, scones, cream and strawberries, each one individually named. The place was opened just for us and was decorated with balloons and banners. They couldn't have done more for us. Absolutely AMAZING!

Called in today for a coffee after a walk on Waskerley Way. While having our coffee near table served with cheesey chips bringing on food envy. Ordered a portion and these were speedily ready. Loads of cheese and chips: gorgeous!. Coffees really nice as well. Choice of being able to sit inside or out and smiling helpful staff. We would thoroughly recommend

Parked in their carpark and went for a run across the Pennines then stopped for coffee and a cake at the finish. Friendly staff, very welcoming. The cakes were good but not stand-out amazing, generous portions, and quick service made for an all-round pleasant experience.

A totally amazing afternoon tea, the food was brilliant, the staff are lovely, the setting is fantastic, highly recommended

Cycling through on a very cold day, I was desperate to use the bathroom and hoped this place may accommodate me. Unfortunately, I was told that I was not allowed to use the toilet as I was not a paying customer. Having no money or bank card to purchase anything at this time I was forced to carry on until I could find a secluded place and hide in the countryside and urinate. People with no moral compass infuriate me. It would not have been a problem to let me use the bathroom, instead, they were very happy to let a woman on her own and be freezing find somewhere in the countryside. I shall never return. Furious!

So pleased to see this has come through the lockdowns, though there was a moment of panic when I was approaching on my bike from the long cycle up from Blaydon and there were no bikes in sight. Happily, it was open and it seems to be outside eating/drinking only until 10am, which isn't a problem, though I don't know what the toilet status is from 9am-10am. All covid protocols adhered to and the food and drink come in single-use containers with a bin provided. The views are great and I will sit out in future whatever the time. The prices are very reasonable.

We just called for drinks before a walk, but were so impressed we went back for lunch.Lorraine and Terri were so helpful and friendly, and our cod goujon sandwiches were delicious.

I stopped here with my young son after cycling from Stanley, Co Durham. The service was very slow, the order incorrect and the prices ridiculous...£1.60 for a can of pop !!!!! There is a small seating area and no clear indication of where to go to order food etc. We stood for a good 10 mins before we saw anyone to take our order. The food was tasty and hot with a limited menu, which is only fair considering the size of the place. I ordered 2 full breakfasts, but wanted several items removed for my son due to his dislike of tomatoes, beans and brown bread and asked for an extra sausage instead, unfortunately that didn't happen but still got charged full price, even though half the items were missing. We then waited another 10 mins to find someone to take our payment. Can honestly say I very much doubt I'll order food here again.

First time for a while I've been in but it is as good as ever. It is in a great position for both cyclists on the Waskerley Way/C2C and motorists on the main road. It initially looks quite small when you go in with only about 4 tables but there are plenty more if you walk through. A good choice of food and drink and the prices are average. The service is still spot on. Fully recommended.

What a gem of a place. Known to locals and cyclists. We’ve been several times for Sunday lunch and each time have been very satisfied. It’s worth booking and it’s worth going early as they can run out of the more popular choices. The roast dinners are served with all the trimmings and smile. It’s a family affair. The lamb and beef on the bone are melt in the mouth delicious. Very reasonably priced at around £8 for a main meal. It is a bit like eating in your Gran’s house- it’s old fashioned and cosy with a fire. The puddings are massive. In the cafe section they do lots of afternoon tea type treats. Do note that the access road is terrible- lots of bumps and potholes.

Parkhead Station is situated off the main road travelling from Castleside to Stanhope across some of the most beautiful countryside in Co Durham. The staff were very helpful, the food was all home cooked with good sized portions and at a very reasonable price. It welcomes cyclists, walkers and other visitors with a warm welcome even if the weather is not at it's best. I would recommend a visit but you have to look out for the sign which is an old rail truck.

After a long walk round reservoirs and Waskerley old railway had great panninni with fries. The coffee was excellent and the welcome was warm and friendly, Will return for excellent walks and cafe.

This remote tea room is actually a small hotel with letting rooms and a dinning room in addition to the popular side café.Its 4 km from the village up a very steep hill so if your cycling be warned as a taxi up would cost £5! It was formerly a station,the highest in England and has been lovingly rebuilt with care and thought by the present owner who are deservably proud of the building and their cooking which is home made. The flooring is wooden so a little noisy as the rooms and en-suites tight for space so a large person would be challenged however all is clean and comfortable as the hosts are helpful and welcoming.There is a locked shed for your bike and it has a lot of repeat sunday lunch trade

Ive been here before but only went into the back room. I had home made soup and I knew Id have to come back it was so tasty. I was pleasantly surprised how nice and warm the front dinning room was. Had roast beef I have to say there was plenty on the plate with extra gravy. My friend had the lamb and he loved his.The service was very friendly and making sure everything was ok. Really lovely I spied the steak pie and I think that will be my next meal there. looked home made just like your grandmother makes it. With a very deep filling. Looking forward to the summer I will definitely be paying a visit and you can always walk off the lunch in a beautiful countryside. The prices were unbelievable, excellent value for money. I was willing to pay a lot more. Full marks for the good food, beautiful surroundings and the helpful and friendly staff

In a remote setting and takes a bit of effort to get there on a bike but many do. There is a bike rack outside. The staff are very friendly, welcoming and efficient. A good selection of meals, cakes, scones, sarnies, toasties and even Sunday lunches. The best bit for me is that it is so rare and pleasantly surprising to be given butter at room temperature that you can spread rather something that beats diamond on the hardness scale. I will be back.

This was a friendly, homely place to eat lunch with copious servings and cheerful service. Don't let that fool you, though - the food was very well cooked and the staff have an eye for good service. It's not what you expect this far out of the way and happily mixes tea room charm with quality, rustic cooking. With fantastic views over the North Pennines, unbeatable scenery on the way in, whichever way you come, this is a place not to miss. Whether you're cycling or walking the Waskerley Way or driving over the top between Weardale and Consett, make sure you stop in to give it a try.

Six of us and a little one in a high chair had a terrific Sunday lunch today. We were warmly welcomed and taken care of throughout our lunch. Lovely open fire to warm us up as was rather chilly outside. The lunch was excellent, everything homemade, well cooked, lots of vegetables and loads of gravy. One of the best Sunday lunches we've had out for some time and very good value at only £7. Pity we were too full for the Apple pie. Will definitely return if ever in the area again.

I visited this cafe which is situated high up on the moors , at the junction of several cycling and walking routes, on a very windy Sunday morning in October. It's clear that many if not most of the café' s customers are likely to be walkers and cyclists; yet the management seem determined to make this class of customer feel unwelcome. After finishing my coffee ( unremarkable latte priced £2.50) I wanted to use the Ladies' toilet. It appeared to be occupied, so I stood waiting until a young waiter ( not the person who had served me; she had disappeared) came through from the back room and told me " we keep it locked after.....". He unlocked the door. Inside there were two printed notices telling me the toilets were for the use of paying customers only, and that if non-paying customers kept using them, they would not be able to continue providing a service to cyclists ( or words to that effect).

Been to Parkhead a few times, never really been impressed by either the food or the service. Is this because they are a destination cafe and complacent that they will get the trade ? Shame I would love to see a better attitude next time I cycle the long way up.

We stopped off on our Coast to Coast cycle ride. A good place for a much needed rest after the climb from Stanhope. Good service, tasty coffee and cake.

Thoroughly enjoyed our soup and a roll. Lots of other tasty looking food available. Finished of with quality coffee.

Encontramos un grupo de excursionistas y no una ruta circular de 9 millas alrededor de Waskerley. Disfrutamos de un refresco en el café que tenía tartas caseras, un restaurante y ser y estar. Directora era muy acogedor. Vale la pena una visita

Era un día de enero con sol y buena compañía realzado aún más por la amabilidad y el humor de los clientes de los salones de té. Desde la primera llamada a la bienvenida en la puerta de salón de té; la preocupación genuina fue...

Gran ubicación, pastel sabroso y buen ambiente. Recomiendo la tarta de limón! ! Ciclismo amable, sin duda volveremos a visitar.

Cálida bienvenida, buenos aperitivos, sándwiches tostados perfecto, justo lo que quieres después de un paseo en bicicleta!! Buena elección del pastel, etc, también.

Friendly owner, excellent cakes and tea. Ideal for food also. Welcoming and ideally located right on the C2C. Understand you can also stay over.

10 of us descended on the good people at Parkhead station while we were completing the C2C cycle ride. It was vile outside and the warm welcome was appreciated after we had battled up Crawleyside Bank in horizontal hail (a headwind of course!) Despite being confronted with 10 hungry and thirsty souls we were served quickly with hearty food and good coffee.

Called in for a light lunch during a light snow storm, and had a very relaxing time sitting on the sofas next to the fire. We had the ham broth which was excellent - very home made and hearty, and the toasted teacake was fruity with enough spice. Service is very friendly, and the view was superb over the moor. We plan to return for Sunday lunch soon.

This has evolved from a caravan into an excellent B&B and cafe for cyclists and walkers and in my opinion Terry does the best bacon and mushroom sandwich ever. Long may it thrive.

We often stop here for a cuppa / scone / toastie as part of our bike rides. We did again this week and as per usual the staff were great and it was a relief, bearing in mind the weather they were open!! A godsend to cyclists in my opinion!!#pepeonthemetro

Unfriendly and unwelcoming. I will not return. Tea and a sandwich for us. Pretty bland and basic . W.c. Out of order and a brusque reply to asking if there was an alternative. Signs all over forbidding various things. Not customer friendly at all !

Perfect stop after a slow slow slow slow climb up crawleyside bank (did I mention I was slow?). I needed the tea and warmth of the building as it was windy and drizzly but fortunately the place warmed me up no end and my hubby loved his hot choc. It's a perfect yet isolated spot for a rest, the downhill after across the moors is fab.

Friendly staff, hearty food, quick service. Great stop over on the c2c, after a long climb. Was packed on a windy Monday afternoon.

Nice hosts, good hearty food. Well out of the way on the moors, old mining railway, on the coast to coast cycle route.

As part of our C2C trip I stayed at Parkhead with my friend Phil. Lorraine and Terry made us very welcome. As their motto says "Arrive as a Guest leave as a Friend " was so true !

I have visited the Parkhead Tea Room on three occasions over the last few weeks while cycling the C2C and found a very warm welcome, hot coffee and homemade cakes!

Really decent place in unique location. Extraordinarily located on a bare fell right on the C2CForget the "Do not" notices and enjoy!!

A welcome stop off on the Coast to Coast ride. It’s in a nice building, albeit at the end of a road unsuited to road bikes. The menu is basic, but what we ordered came promptly and was tasty enough. For a café that makes its living from cyclists and walkers it was surprisingly standoffish about filling up a bidon with water. What sticks out most in the memory though is its extensive collection of reproachful signs telling you not to do this or that, or face the consequences. It was dubbed ‘Cold Comfort Café’ for the rest of the ride and so I was amused to see that cb222cb had the same thought.All in all I was slightly happier to leave it than I was to arrive – a vibe that most of the staff gave off too. On the basis of what I saw on my only visit 2 stars would be unkind, but 3 is slightly generous. The range of reviews suggests that some days are better than others. I would go again, but only for the lack of an alternative.

After cycling along the Waskerly Way from Rowley heading west to Stanhope the stone build Tea rooms and B&B were like an Oasis. The weather was perfect and the views spectacular. The young man serving in the Tea Shop could see I was weary and he couldn't do enough to help.a great menu and they do Sunday Lunch I will be back on Sunday!

Other reviews seem quite mixed, which I can sort of understand. The positives - the facilities to lock up bikes were good (plenty of space) and they were more than happy to let us refill our water bottles. The food was also good and reasonably priced (cheese and ham toastie and a hot beef roll).The negatives - the menu wasn't that extensive and they could have done more with it. Many of the cakes were pre-packed.Overall a welcome stopover, but I sense they could do more with it.

Excellent service and food. Loved staying here surrounded by beautiful scenery, yet not too distant from Stanhope. We were sketching and painting in this area, and walking when possible.

Further to prev review Cyclist are not welcome encouraged or treat wellVery poor but could be nice if a change in attitude

I can't help thinking how much better this place would be if they had nice buns and home-made cakes! Seriously? Cheap, defrosted, pre-cut buns?!The reception from the staff is neutral, and the numerous signs around the place don't say 'Welcome' they say 'dont just come here to use the bog' and 'dont eat your own food here'Whilst I agree that these matters are important, they can be dealt with in a MUCH better manner than plastering notices around the gaff. After all, I'm willing to bet that the VAST majority of people who pass this remote outpost don't commit these offences and would love some great food and a hot cuppa.And they'd love it even more if a bit of thought went into it.This place isn't bad, but it could be a whole lot better with only a small effort.

Fantastic place, great food, service and value for money. Lovey surroundings, friendly and helpful people. top top place.

Expensive tepid soup, dry bread (25p extra for 1pat of butter), cold coffee and attitude. next time I cycle all the way up there I'll sit outside with a banana!!

This is high up on the moors in an isolated setting and comes as a welcome sight on a bike ride. It has small rooms leading off from each other but never a problem getting a table.There are the usual sandwiches, cakes, scones, toasties etc. The more "breakfasty" things like a bacon sarnie aren't available all day but good alternatives.They also advertise a Sunday lunch which I haven't tried yet.The prices are reasonable and the staff friendly.Probably best to phone ahead in bad weather to see if they are open, especially in winter.Recommended!

If you are out doing a C2C or walking along the Waskerley way, stop off at the Parkhead Tea Room, think you will find its well worth it. The owners Terry & Lorraine make you feel at home. The food is really good, try one of their cheese & onion toasties, best iv had for ages! We have been several times now and cant fault a thing!

We found this place very welcoming and the toastie was the best we have ever had - it maybe due to the distance we had cycled or it may because it was good - visit for yourself to verify

I have stopped off for a coffee around 4 times now training for C2C. On each occasion I have found the staff quite abrupt. Topped it off at the weekend when we stopped off on way to Sunderland on our second day, The lady of the manner had a terrible attitude towards paying customers from several groups, Give it a miss if you can I wont be lining their pockets anymore.